hard to know what the best stylus for iPad or iPhone is, but we’re here to help with our list of the top choices on the market right now.
lot of us iPad users are creative types and require a little help to do intricate designs or a lot of writing on our tech. If this sounds like you, then check out our list of the best stylus for iPad – or iPhone – in 2024. These styluses – or styli, if you will – cover a range of prices and devices for you to choose from. It’s important to make the right decision.
Apple Pencil Second Generation
The best Apple stylus.
Prices last refreshed: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:56:07 GMT
Pros
- Magnetically charges on iPad
- Very good accuracy
- Swappable tip
Cons
- Expensive
- Find My App doesn’t work with the pen
- Limited compatibility
Often, those of us with Apple products will gravitate toward other Apple products to complete our setups. When it comes to the Apple Pencil Gen 2, it’s actually a good idea to do so – if you can feasibly afford the $130 for a stylus.
The second generation of Apple pen brings some improvements – namely, latency is down to just 9ms from the previous 20ms, allowing for super precise movement. There’s tilt detection and pressure sensitivity, too. The Apple Pencil is, however, incompatible with iPhones, and does not come with any replacement or different tips.
The biggest change is that while the first Apple Pencil charges from the iPad, it means you have to stick the pencil into the charge port, which looks ridiculous and leaves a lot of room for it to get knocked and damaged. The second-gen pen, however, magnetically attaches to the iPad and charges that way. Much better. Though, it still can fall off due to it not being a massively strong magnetic connection.
2. Logitech Crayon
The best non-Apple stylus for iPads.
- Immediate pairing
- Dynamic line weight
Cons
- No quick start guide
- Charging cable not included
Coming in at less than half the cost of an Apple Pencil is the Logitech Crayon, retailing for around $70 but matching performance almost completely.
Offering a swish 6.5-inch aluminum body, the Crayon is a rectangular shape (with smooth corners), which stops it from rolling away. There’s a discreet charging port hidden under the cap – which is attached, so no losing that either – and you can get either a USB-C or Lightning version of the stylus, depending on what port your iPad has.
You don’t need to pair this device – straight out of the box, it’s ready to use. It has a seven-hour battery life and will turn off after 30 minutes of inactivity to conserve power.
The only downside is that the Logitech Crayon is only compatible with iPads, which is fine for this guide, but note it if you have another brand of tablet you want to use a stylus with – or an iPhone.
Zagg Pro Stylus 2
The best stylus iPhone-compatible stylus.
Prices last refreshed: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:56:09 GMT
Pros:
- Instant pairing
- Palm rejection
- Replacement tips included
Cons:
- No pressure sensitivity
- No compatibility with devices released before 2018
If you want a cute and colorful stylus, look no further than the Zagg Pro Stylus 2. It’s available in hot pink, white, yellow, grey, or blue, which isn’t something offered by a lot of competitors.
Aesthetics aside, there are plenty of other good points here. The Stylus 2 has wireless charging, which is an upgrade from the first Zagg Pro, including a magnetic connection to hold it in place on chargers and iPads.
The stylus has around 6.5 hours of battery life and is compatible with any apps that support the Apple Pencil. The pen has some heft to it, and it feels like excellent quality, which is great for the small-ish price tag.
5. Adonit Pro 4
The best battery-free stylus for iPads and iPhones.
- Passive-type stylus
- Affordable
Cons:
- No pressure sensitivity
For those who want a stress-free stylus that requires minimal effort, look no further than the Adonit Pro 4. It’s a passive stylus that works with literally everything, and has no battery or Bluetooth connectivity so you don’t need to worry about whether it works, or keeping it charged.
Obviously, as it’s a simple piece of tech, there are some lacking features like pressure sensitivity or palm rejection – so if you’re planning on using a stylus for lots of drawing, this probably isn’t your best option.
For those who want a daily item to use in place of fingers, the Adonit’s affordable price point places it at the top of our recommendations. Who wants fingerprints on their screen, anyway?
How we chose the best styluses
Picking out the best styluses to recommend is no easy task. We took battery life, design, and weight into account, along with how easy it is to charge each pen. Compatibility also plays a big part as some pens need a little more work to get it to be usable with all of your apps.
Of course, the technological side plays a part too as some pens offer more helpful features than others like palm rejection, sensitivity, and dynamic weighting of lines. If you would like a deeper look into how we test our tech, you can look at our page for more info.